XLASH Sensitive Eyelash Serum Versus The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Lash And Brow Serum

XLASH Sensitive Eyelash Serum Versus The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Lash And Brow Serum

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Propanediol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

Pisum Sativum Peptide

Rosa Canina Fruit Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Phenoxyethanol

Hydrolyzed Rice Protein

Curcuma Longa Callus Conditioned Media

Caffeine

Xanthan Gum

Pentylene Glycol

Hydrolyzed Soy Protein

Ethylhexylglycerin

Silica

Glycogen

Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract

Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Lysate Filtrate

Isochrysis Galbana Extract

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Centella Asiatica Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Panthenol

Octapeptide-2

Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1

Myristoyl Tetrapeptide-12

Myristoyl Hexapeptide-16

Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17

Phytic Acid

Zingiber Officinale Water

Water, Propanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Pisum Sativum Peptide, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Curcuma Longa Callus Conditioned Media, Caffeine, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Ethylhexylglycerin, Silica, Glycogen, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Lysate Filtrate, Isochrysis Galbana Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Panthenol, Octapeptide-2, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Myristoyl Tetrapeptide-12, Myristoyl Hexapeptide-16, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Phytic Acid, Zingiber Officinale Water

Oligopeptide-2

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3

Arginine

Glycine

Glycoproteins

Larix Europaea Wood Extract

Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract

Dextran

Maltodextrin

Zinc Chloride

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Polysorbate 20

Sodium Metabisulfite

Caprylyl Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

Sodium Benzoate

Benzoic Acid

Chlorphenesin

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Oligopeptide-2, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Caffeine, Panthenol, Arginine, Glycine, Glycoproteins, Larix Europaea Wood Extract, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Dextran, Maltodextrin, Zinc Chloride, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Metabisulfite, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Benzoate, Benzoic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1 is a lab-made molecule that combines two parts: biotin (vitamin B7) and Tripeptide-1. Together, they form a peptide that’s often used in hair and eyelash products.

In-vitro studies show this ingredient helps hair bulb cells grow faster and product more structual proteins. This helps keep hair securely anchored in the follicle.

A small human study using a mascara with 2% Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1 reported lashes that were about 17% longer and 19% thicker after one month.

One study from 2025 compared topical spray vs. a combined tropical/oral treatment. The combination group saw greater increases in total hair count.

While these early results are encouraging, most of the data comes from in-vitro experiments (in test tubes) or small, short-term trials.

Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1 looks promising for supporting hair strength and growth but there’s not yet strong clinical evidence to confirm how well it works.

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

Caffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.

As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.

Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.

You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.

Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.

Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.

Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.

Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.

In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.

There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.

Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.

A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.

The quality of the extract matters a lot here:

Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.

Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.

Topically, glycerin does several things at once:

Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.

Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.

This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.

Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17 is a five amino peptide attached to myristic acid to help it absorb better into skin. It's mostly used for lash growth and as a delivery vehicle for other ingredients.

The myristic acid "tail" is basically a delivery upgrade that helps the peptide mix with your skin's natural oils so it can get where it needs to go.

In your eyelash follicles, it activates the keratin gene and promotes nutrient absorption into the follicle. This translates to thicker and longer eyelashes over time.

Besides stimulating keratin production for lash growth, this ingredient enhances the delivery of other active ingredients in a formula.

The clinical evidence is still pretty early-stage at this point. A 90 day study in 29 participants found improvements in lash length (10.52%), volume (9.3%), thickness (35%), and curl (50.83%) with no adverse reactions reported.

You might have heard that eyelash serums can cause pigmentation change in eye color to turn eyes brown. This is associated with a different class of lash serum ingredients: prostaglandin analogs.

Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17 is a different thing entirely and has no known association with iris pigmentation changes. The 90 day study noted no adverse effects around the eye area at all.

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

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